Dumbledore and the Ageing Potion
by Storynut
Summary: Dumbledore is now a 15-year-old boy, who attends Hogwarts along with Harry and others. What has caused this transformation? Will he turn back? With Voldemort on the rise, how will the Professors cope without the Headmaster and bear the additional burden o
1. The Transformation

SUMMARY - Dumbledore is now a 15-year-old boy, who attends Hogwarts along with Harry and others. What has caused this transformation? Will he turn back? With Voldemort on the rise, how will the Professors cope without the Headmaster and bear the additional burden of protecting him?  
AUTHOR NOTES - This fic. is written in collaboration with my cousin. (Hope it is 2 times as good!) It is expected to be 10 chapters long. We expect to finish the fic. within 2 weeks.  
CHAPTER 1 THE TRANSFORMATION  
  
Dumbledore removed his half-moon spectacles, placed them on his desk and glanced at the clock. "Five more minutes," he muttered and sat back in his chair, with his eyes closed.  
  
For some time now, he had been getting evidence of one of the Professors being a spy. He would have to tread carefully from now on. It would not do to give any of them the impression that he distrusted them.  
  
He would alert Snape and McGonagall regarding his suspicions when they came. It was important that they determine the identity of the spy before the start of the term, lest any of the student's or Professor's life be endangered.  
  
'It had been a hectic day,' he reflected. 'And a heavy one,' his stomach reminded him.  
  
He had gone to pay a visit to all (well..nearly all, for a couple had to visit him) the professors at Hogwarts. The ostensible reason was to discuss with them the changes to be made in the syllabus for all the classes. That had to be done considering the changing scenario.  
  
'It all came back to that, ' he thought. 'To Voldemort regaining his form. There was lot of work to be done. If only Fudge had been less obstinate, if only he were not so blind...,well no point going over all that now. As things stood it was upto him to put up a defense against Voldemort, and when the appropriate time came, to attack.'  
  
The visit to the Professors had been satisfactory. They had each already formulated a syllabus. He merely had to give his consent in a few cases and make few changes in most.  
  
But the visit had not been without its after-effects. They had all (without an exception) insisted on his having a drink with them. That was why his stomach was now painfully reminding him of its presence within his self.  
  
Professor Sinstra's brew had been good. He had been unable to find out all its ingredients. He must remember to ask her for the recipe someday. His last visit unfortunately was accompanied with the painful memory of his having to drink what Trelawney called tea. He had never developed a taste for tea. The cup he had at Trelawney's room made him more determined than ever to avoid tea at all costs. Thank heavens he had remembered the spell then. He had left behind more than half his cup undrunk, but Trelawney had perceived it as an empty cup.  
  
He had returned to his room hoping to enjoy a cup of strong blackcurrant syrup that he had asked a house-elf to bring him, only to find two owls waiting for him.  
  
The one from Sirius gave satisfactory news. Mundungus Fletcher was agreeable to the proposal. The news from Hagrid though not as satisfactory, was better than expected. The giants had a few demands that had to be met. Hagrid had sent him the list. The first three were what he himself had had in mind. They could be agreed to. The fourth.well, he'd find a way through it though it would take some time.  
  
There was a soft knock on the door. "Enter," he said. McGonagall and Snape entered.  
  
"Snape tells me that You-know-who has not made any efforts to get the Giants to his side. He seems to be still rejoicing the regaining of his body." From her tone it was apparent that she did not approve of Voldemort's overindulgence.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Snape, his eyebrows raised.  
  
"We can thank the Minister for this," said Snape. "His pooh-poohing of the story that The Dark Lord has returned seems to be giving The Dark Lord a sense of security. He does not feel the need to expedite such matters."  
  
"Fudge seems to have made himself extremely useful to us," said Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling. "Perhaps I needn't have been too harsh on him."  
  
"He deserved it. I never thought he could be so pig-headed," McGonagall snapped. She obviously thought discussing Fudge was a waste of time for she immediately asked, "So, any news from Sirius or Hagrid?"  
  
Dumbledore showed them the two letters that he had just received.  
  
A house-elf entered with a glass. "Thank you," said Dumbledore taking the syrup. "What would you both have?" he asked.  
  
"Butterbeer," said Snape  
  
"Pumpkin juice," said McGonagall.  
  
Dumbledore took an appreciative sip of his syrup. After Trelawney's tea, this was heaven-sent.  
  
"Mundungus Fletcher here?" asked Snape, looking up from Sirius' letter.  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"What do you plan to do about the demands of the giants, Dumbledore?" asked McGonagall.  
  
Dumbledore sighed.  
  
"You look tired, Headmaster," said Snape concerned. He got up from his chair and stopped short.  
  
McGonagall's eyes widened.  
  
Dumbledore's long white beard was turning auburn. The beard slowly decreased in size to reveal a clean-shaven face. His hair now did not even reach upto his shoulders. The nose, which had previously looked as if it had broken in at least two places, now looked unbroken.  
  
A fifteen-year-old boy stared back at the two Professors who were gaping at him in astonishment.  
  
Snape was the first to apparently recover. "Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"Albus Dumbledore, studying in the fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," came the prompt reply. 


	2. With The Grangers

CHAPTER 2 - WITH THE GRANGERS  
  
Harry sat frowning over Ron's untidy scrawl. If possible, Ron's handwriting had become more undecipherable than before. Either that or Ron had been labouring under some great emotion.  
  
Harry identified the second word in the second sentence to be 'Mum'. That word there must be McGonagall and the long word, which began with a 'D' and ended with an 'e' must be 'Dumbledore', he decided. Shaking his head he gave up. He put the letter aside and took up Hermione's. Her neat handwriting was a treat after Ron's unintelligible one. She had invited him and Ron over for the last few days, by when she would have got back from Bulgaria. He gathered from her letter that McGonagall had refused permission for Harry to go over to Ron's place. Hermione would pick him up from Privet Drive on 27th August. So that was what Ron must have written.  
  
He replied to their letters.  
  
The next morning when Harry went down for breakfast he told his uncle that the Grangers would be coming to pick him up from here on the 27th.  
  
"Who are these Grangers?" barked Uncle Vernon, his mouth full of toast.  
  
"Hermione Granger is a friend of mine from school. Her parents are dentists," replied Harry.  
  
"I will not allow any friend of yours to step inside my house," growled Uncle Vernon.  
  
Harry shrugged. "In that case I'll have to ask my Godfather to pick me up. I need to go to Diagon Alley to get my supplies."  
  
'Purple does not suit Uncle Vernon's face,' thought Harry, affected powerfully by Uncle Vernon's purple face clashing with his acid green T- shirt. "So do I ask the Grangers not to come?"  
  
It was Aunt Petunia who replied. "I do not want any escaped convict entering my house!" she declared. "Let the Grangers come and pick you up."  
  
'Yes!' thought Harry excitedly and ran up to his room to pack. 'Only two more days for the 27th.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Harry came down for breakfast on the 27th and felt that he entered the wrong house. The living room was now rearranged, leaving a wide area near the fireplace bare. The entire living room now seemed to be crowded at one corner. Harry would have laughed aloud, had Aunt Petunia not come there. "When are the Grangers arriving?" she asked testily.  
  
"They should be here by 10:30," Harry replied.  
  
"Just when we have our breakfast!" said Aunt Petunia angrily.  
  
"Probably thought they'd get invited," said Uncle Vernon coming down the stairs. "We'll eat breakfast now, Petunia."  
  
Harry looked at the clock. It said 9:30. As he was already dressed and had packed all his things, including Hedwig, Harry followed Petunia into the kitchen for breakfast.  
  
Dudley was already there, cramming large pieces of toast and bacon into his mouth. 'The strenuous diet imposed on him at Smeltings had its effects,' thought Harry. He now looked like more two round balls on top of one another, rather than a baby whale.  
  
After breakfast, Vernon paced up and down the living room and Aunt Petunia sat as far from the fireplace as possible, darting nervous glances across. She looked as if she was straining to hear noises from the fireplace.  
  
At 10:30, a car drove up to No.4, Privet Drive. Harry's ears pricked at the sound. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia looked towards the driveway. The Grangers walked up to the door and rang the bell. As neither of the Dursleys moved, Harry went to open the door.  
  
The Dursleys stopped ogling the Granger's car and started ogling at the dentists, who now stood at their doorstep. "Good Morning," said Dr.Granger walking forward with his hand outstretched. "Hermione has told me a lot about your nephew Harry. These two and another friend of theirs, Ronald Weasley seem to be fast friends. Have you met him?"  
  
Vernon shuddered at the recollection of the last time he had met Ron Weasley. Harry caught Hermione's eye and with difficulty stifled a laugh.  
  
"Pleased to meet you, Dr.Granger," said Uncle Vernon and, to Harry's surprise, took the outstretched hand.  
  
"We've heard of you, of course," said Aunt Petunia, with her artificial laugh.  
  
"We have a son," said Uncle Vernon, as if announcing the birth of a long awaited heir.  
  
"I see," said Mrs. Granger politely.  
  
"But I don't see him," said Dr.Granger looking around.  
  
Uncle Vernon guffawed, smartly realising that this was meant as a joke. Harry chuckled as Dr.Granger caught his eye and twinkled.  
  
Aunt Petunia smiled. "I'll bring him," she said. "He's shy of strangers, you see."  
  
Hermione looked expectantly at the stairway, through which Mrs.Dursley had just gone. She had heard too much about Dudley from both Harry and Ron, to not feel curious to see the boy.  
  
"He is a fine boy, studying at Smeltings, but he has a weakness for sweets," Said Uncle Vernon. "That seems to given him a spot of trouble with his teeth."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione. He knew where this was heading. Obviously the Dursleys were hoping for a free Dental treatment for Dudley.  
  
Both Hermione and Uncle Vernon were destined to be disappointed, for at that moment, Aunt Petunia returned alone. "He is busy with his school work," she said. "He is an intelligent boy, my son."  
  
But Harry knew otherwise. Before the Grangers arrived, he had heard Dudley barricading himself in his room. No doubt, his previous encounters with wizards were still painfully fresh in his memory and so he must have refused to step out of the room.  
  
Dr.Granger stood up. "I'm afraid we must be going. We've asked Ronald Weasley to meet us at Diagon Alley, and we mustn't keep him waiting."  
  
Harry went upstairs to get his trunk and Hermione followed. She managed to catch a glimpse of the pig like face of Dudley before he slammed the door.  
  
Dr.Granger helped Harry load his trunk into the boot of the car, and they sped off to Diagon Alley.  
  
They met Ron at Leaky Cauldron. Hermione's parents decided to wait at the Leaky Cauldron, while the three went into Diagon Alley. As usual, their first visit was to the Gringotts Bank. Ron and Hermione waited outside and once Harry came out, they went off to get their yearly supplies.  
  
Their shopping over, they went to ice cream Florean Fortescue's ice-cream parlour, where they ordered large sundaes each. Harry, who sat facing the window, stood up, his eyes widening.  
  
"What is it?" asked Ron.  
  
"Does McGonagall have a son?" asked Harry.  
  
Ron chortled.  
  
"Why?" asked Hermione.  
  
"I just saw her pass by with a teenage boy," said Harry.  
  
"Must have been her nephew," said Ron, as if he found the whole idea was ludicrous.  
  
"Of course she doesn't have a nephew!" said Hermione scornfully.  
  
"How do you know?" asked Ron. "Did you read it in 'The History of Hogwarts Teachers?' or perhaps, in 'Hogwarts Teachers: A History'?"  
  
Hermione scowled. "No, I haven't!"  
  
'There they go again,' thought Harry, hurriedly changing the topic.  
  
Ice cream and payment over they returned to Leaky Cauldron 


	3. The New Boy

CHAPTER 3 - THE NEW BOY  
  
The days they spent at Hermione's place was surprisingly filled with as less 'Hermione-Ron' quarrels as possible. The Grangers were very nice people and gave the children a lot of license  
  
Harry and Hermione spent a lot of time explaining to Ron how many of the muggle things worked and Ron was very pleased at the thought of explaining all that he had learnt to his father.  
  
The last three days sped by and September 1st saw them aboard the Hogwarts Express.  
  
The Weasleys were already in the train and had saved them seats.  
  
"You're late," said Fred as he helped them load their trunks into the compartment.  
  
"We were stuck in a traffic jam," said Ron, hurriedly getting on to the now moving train.  
  
Once inside, they settled down, with Harry and Ginny occupying the two seats by the window.  
  
Fred and George had worked hard over the summer and were now exhibiting the fruits of their labour. Harry had seen a few inventions before, but many of them were new to him.  
  
"This," said George, holding a bottle containing light pink liquid, "is no ordinary lotion. You are honoured to be the first ones to get a sample of 'Pimplus'. It will-"  
  
The door banged open and Draco Malfoy with his sidekicks stood at the door. He surveyed the compartment with a contemptuous look and paused as his eyes rested on the bottle in George's hand.  
  
"Well, well, what have we here?" drawled Draco. He made a sudden grab for the bottle. George, taken unawares found the bottle in Malfoy's hands.  
  
"Give it back, Malfoy," he growled.  
  
"A family heirloom, is it?" mocked Draco.  
  
Ron, who was sitting by the door, stood up at that. The motion upset Draco's hands and the contents of the lotion splattered over his face.  
  
"Oh no!" exclaimed Fred, a look of comical dismay on his face.  
  
Ginny began to giggle, as Harry, Ron and Hermione stared wide-eyed at Draco.  
  
His once clear complexion was now marred by the eruption of acid green boils on various parts of his face.  
  
Crabbe and Goyle looked at Draco for instructions. 'POP' went a boil. Draco's face went purple. Harry thought that purple and green was an interesting combination.  
  
Ron doubled over with laughter. Hermione tried to clamp her mouth shut, making it very obvious that she was much amused. Ginny decided to 'delicately' look away, but the giggles were very audible.  
  
Fred and George congratulated each other. "It worked!" exclaimed George happily.  
  
"What IS this?" Draco demanded between clenched teeth.  
  
"The effect will wear off in an hour. Don't worry," said George in what he considered a soothing voice.  
  
Fred turned to Draco. "We felicitate you, Mr.Malfoy for being the first person to sample this potion. In your honour, we hereby rename this potion, 'The Draco potion'"  
  
'POP' went two more boils. Draco threw a smoldering look at the group. He turned on his heel and walked away with as much dignity as he could muster with boils popping on his face.  
  
The rest of the journey was uneventful, with many people looking in, to complement the twins on their potion and their successful trial of it.  
  
After lunch, the topic as always came to Quidditch.  
  
"Ginny has been practicing all summer. She wants to try-out for the position of Keeper," said Ron.  
  
'No wonder,' thought Harry, noticing her slim figure.  
  
Harry turned to the twins. "So will there be a trial for the Keeper post?"  
  
"Yes. This year Professor McGonagal will be naming our team captain. The team captain will then select a Keeper after a try out," said Fred.  
  
'Looks like it's going to be an interesting year,' thought Harry.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Once at Hogwarts, Harry noticed that both Dumbledore and Hagrid were absent. He couldn't imagine school beginning without Dumbledore's speech. "Where is Dumbledore?" he whispered.  
  
Before Ron could reply, McGonagall stood up to introduce their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mundungus Fletcher. He was a short, stout man with a jolly round face and hair receding at the temples. He was in fact unremarkable. (Considering their previous DADA teacher had had a badly scarred face, a magical eye and a wooden leg and the one before that had been a werewolf.)  
  
Once the welcoming clap subsided, she placed the Sorting hat on the stool and the hat began to sing -  
  
"Welcome, Welcome First years welcome, Welcome to the seniors too, Within the four walls of Hogwarts, Under the night sky deep blue,  
  
Put me on And let me see, Where placed in Hogwarts You shall be,  
  
With the Gryfindors Of lion heart, Among the Slytherins Of cunning and craft,  
  
With the Hufflepuff Renowned for loyalty, Among the Ravenclaw Who are wise and witty.  
  
None lesser than the great four Put their brains in me, So that sort students after them, I may do you see.  
  
I may be frayed, But am not deranged. For once I put you into groups, It cannot be changed.  
  
Put me on, A judge shall I be, And put you into houses, As in Hogwarts you should be!  
  
Everyone clapped and the sorting began. By the time the list came to 'Z', Harry was yawning and yearning for food.  
  
McGonagall's announcement brought him out of his stupor.  
  
"Bertlemon, Sher!" she announced, "for the fifth year."  
  
The auburn-haired boy whom Harry had seen at Diagon Alley walked upto the sorting hat.  
  
"That's him! The boy I saw at Diagon Alley," he whispered excitedly to the other two.  
  
"Didn't see him on the Hogwarts Express," said Ron.  
  
The hat screamed, "Gryffindor!"  
  
As the Gryffindors eagerly craned their necks to see the new boy, they saw him following McGonagall out of the Great Hall. 


	4. Musings

CHAPTER 4 - MUSINGS  
  
Snape, who had been sitting tense for so long, now gave a sigh of relief as his eyes followed Bertlemon's exit through the Great Hall.  
  
It had been a daunting task that he and McGonagall had faced over the past few weeks. Snape shuddered at the reflection of what he had gone through. Unfortunately his mind kept running over the events starting from where the two professors had stared at the fifteen-year-old who sat at Dumbledore's desk.  
  
For a second he was stunned. Yes, he, Snape who never lost his head in a crisis, had no idea what happened and stood numb with shock.  
  
McGonagall sank back into her chair, but he, was not that weak. He immediately took the glass from which Dumbledore had drunk, sniffed it and used his wand to check for hidden potions. Both yielded nothing.  
  
He then looked towards McGonagall who had been checking the room for the most recently cast spell. Her attempt too had proved to be futile.  
  
All the while, 15 year old Dumbledore had been watching them with wide-eyed interest.  
  
If Snape, at times had felt like throttling the headmaster Dumbledore, it was nothing to what he felt like doing to the 15-year-old. As a kid the headmaster was anything but bearable.  
  
Anybody observing Snape then must have suspected him to be catching a chill for his shudders were frequent and authentic.  
  
The two Professors then entered upon the task of discovering whether the 15- year-old headmaster retained the 90 and odd years' memory.  
  
The recollection still drew a laugh from him.  
  
It didn't take the two long to discover that the boy who sat at the headmaster's desk was a 15-year-old in body and mind.  
  
McGonagall, exasperated, exclaimed, "But surely you remember You-Know-Who!"  
  
"Who?" the boy asked in obvious surprise.  
  
"You-Know-Who!" she repeated.  
  
"I don't know who," he said with simple firmness, and then turning to Snape, "Do you know who?"  
  
Snape did not manage to repress a chuckle and earned himself a glare from McGonagall.  
  
They spent the next half an hour breaking their heads over what was to be done with the boy. It was McGonagall who came up with the notion of making Dumbledore join Hogwarts along with the rest of the fifth years.  
  
"He will cause much less trouble to us if he was with the rest of the fifth years, while we try to find a remedy," McGonagall reasoned. "This way we'll also be able to keep an eye on him."  
  
He agreed. He was diverted at the thought of the Headmaster, Dumbledore attending fifth year at Hogwarts and studying Potions under him.  
  
McGonagall too had thought along the same lines and the two had shared a good laugh.  
  
But over the next few weeks the two hadn't had much to laugh about. It had been a Herculean task to convince the 15-year-old to change his name, for obviously they couldn't allow him to attend Hogwarts as Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"Why should I change my name?" 15-year-old Dumbledore asked. "I like my name. It means bumble bee you know," he informed them earnestly.  
  
"We are in the year 1995 and you would be expected to be 90 plus now. It is possible that people who knew you when you were 15, find it strange that you're still only 15. So in order that they don't recognise you, it is better your name is changed."  
  
"How is it 1995?" the boy asked bewildered.  
  
"Perhaps it was the spell we were experimenting," said Snape, cooking up an excuse fast. "We don't know for sure."  
  
The boy continued to stare at the two, now in horror.  
  
"We shall find some way to set it right," said Snape much more confidently than he felt.  
  
The boy had been strangely obstinate regarding the name and at last had decided on Sher Bertlemon .  
  
'Thank God!' thought Snape, 'I don't have any nephews'.  
  
He fervently crossed his fingers. His trust in the discretion of the Headmaster & his 15-year-old self varied in inverse proportion. However the 15-year-old seemed to share the same passion as his elder self. That explained the name he had hit upon on realizing the other two's determination to give him another name.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Albus Dumbledore alias Sher Bertlemon, lay in his bed listening to the various unmusical notes of his five roommates' snores. He had been unable to meet the other boys that evening, as McGonagall had summoned him to her room as soon as the sorting ceremony was over (which he had already gone through in his first year).  
  
It was to drum last minute advises into his head about the do's and don'ts to be followed while at Hogwarts.  
  
He was not exactly sleepy and his mind ran over the incidents of the past few weeks.  
  
He had absolutely no recollection whatsoever of how he had turned up in that room. He had suddenly found himself looking at two wide-eyed strangers.  
  
After muttering a few strange incantations, the man who, he later learned, was called Professor Snape, had turned to him with a cryptic question.  
  
"How did you do it?"  
  
He had had no idea what it meant & had lost no time in telling him so.  
  
The lady, who he thought was endowed with more common sense, had told Professor Snape that he, Dumbledore did not remember anything.  
  
As if! He had had a good mind to tell her that he remembered perfectly well, the exact way to turn a porcupine into a pincushion and many more things besides.  
  
The erroneous good opinion that he had formed of Professor McGonagall's good sense flew out of the window as soon as she had started questioning him about somebody he was expected to know. But how could know who she was talking about, if she never mentioned the name?  
  
After that he had had an extremely fatiguing time in trying to convince them that he was perfectly happy with his name. Unfortunately these two worthy people thought otherwise. They had been bent on forcing a new name onto him, because it seemed that he was in the year 1995. They had also mentioned the possibility that it was the result of one of their experiments. He hoped that they would be able to transport him back soon.  
  
Out of sheer exhaustion of trying to make the two see sense, he had given in to their whims. He was proud of the name he had hit upon.  
  
Sleep slowly crept into him. His fellow Gryffindors.well, he would cross the bridge when he came to it. 


	5. Classes

CHAPTER 5 - CLASSES  
  
The Great Hall was nosier than usual. The Gryffindor table sat in two groups. One, (the larger one) speculating about the new boy who had just joined them in the fifth year and hadn't yet joined them at the breakfast table and another, (a handful) discussing in hushed tones, Dumbledore's absence at the Welcome Feast. The latter group however, was alert to the discussion of the former group.  
  
There were many supporting Ron's idea (of the boy being McGonagall's nephew). Soon odds were being laid with Fred and George appointing themselves as bookies.  
  
They were also wondering about the boy's name. Parvati Patil had said that 'Sher' meant tiger in Urdu (an Indian language). Perhaps his father had been enamoured of the Royal Indian tiger.  
  
A sudden hush descended on the Great Hall as the object of their discussion walked in. Harry realised that students had been discussing about nothing else in all four tables.  
  
Sher occupied the empty chair next to Hermione and started on his breakfast, apparently oblivious to the stir he was causing.  
  
"I didn't catch your name yesterday," began Fred politely.  
  
"Sher Bertlemon."  
  
"Why don't you try one of these?" George offered him a Sherbet lemon.  
  
"No!" cried Dean Thomas, eyeing with suspicion the twins' innocent faces.  
  
Sher looked from Dean to the twins. "Thanks," he said accepting but not eating the candy. Something warned him to be wary of them.  
  
"Gryffindors, meet me in five minutes at the Common room," announced McGonagall as the table was clearing.  
  
As they all walked back to the Common room, Fred and George were noticeably the happiest. It was Potions for them and they were only too glad to be late.  
  
As McGonagall entered, a silence descended on the room. They were all agog with curiosity to know why they had been called.  
  
"Mr.Bertlemon will be joining you in the fifth year. His parents have just moved here and as a special case we have admitted him. I expect all of you to make him feel welcome. Until he gets better acquainted with this school, kindly do not at least give him a cause for alarm." The last was directed at the twins. "Now you may proceed to your classes." She dismissed them.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The object of discussion among the Gryffindors, on their way to Divination was once again Sher Bertlemon, who was on his way to Arithmancy with Hermione.  
  
Ron, who was giving his own ideas as to what the special circumstances which McGonagall mentioned were, when he suddenly found himself under the rope ladder which lead to the Divination classroom.  
  
About halfway up he paused, for he heard words.  
  
"At Hogwarts.A Sher Bertlemon.Yes,-"  
  
But he couldn't hear more, for people were beginning to get impatient down below. He was forced to open the trapdoor and the voices abruptly stopped.  
  
Each took their seats. Professor Trelawney, wrapped in black robes made of some silky material, walked forward and said in her misty voice.  
  
"Welcome, my dears."  
  
She peered around, searching for someone who wasn't there.  
  
"Ah, the new boy, Sher Bertlemon, hasn't taken Divination I see."  
  
She then settled herself on a stool. Lavender and Parvati pulled their chairs closer to her and leaned forward eagerly.  
  
Professor Trelawney looked hard at Harry.  
  
She said in an impressive voice, "From the moment you stepped into my class, I have known that you are a boy surrounded by danger. But now, I see far greater danger than that which surrounds you, now looms over the new boy who has joined you this year."  
  
Lavender and Parvati shuddered, while the others rolled their eyes. Harry, however stared straight back at her.  
  
She sighed, turned to the rest of the class and started with astrological predictions.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Just outside the Transfiguration classroom, Harry and Ron met Sher Bertlemon and Hermione, who was in a foul mood. They wondered why, and were about to ask her, when McGonagall bade them to enter.  
  
The reason was apparent in the Transfiguration class. The first half an hour went off as usual with Hermione answering most of the questions. The second half, however, came as a near shock to the Gryffindors.  
  
They had been asked to transfigure a table into a turtle and back. And who should do it first, but Sher, who finished a full five minutes before Hermione. The class suspended its activities to gape at him.  
  
McGonagall, however did not seem to share the class' surprise. She awarded lesser points to him, than she would have done, if it had been Hermione.  
  
Much to the amusement of the class, Hermione spent the remaining time trying to transfigure faster than Sher. The whole class was united in thinking that the coming of Sher had done Hermione good.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The class headed for lunch and then to the Dungeons for Potions.  
  
Snape asked them to brew an engorgement potion and kept walking around the class, inspecting the cauldrons.  
  
"Its way to thin, Mr.Bertlemon," he said, looking at Sher's watery concoction.  
  
"I believe I've added an extra leech, sir. I shall add a drop of dragon blood to set it right," the class heard Sher reply.  
  
"God!" whispered Seamus Finnigan to Dean Thomas, as the class waited for points to be taken off Gryffindor. "We didn't warn him about Snape."  
  
As the class waited with bated breath, Ron, who was walking opposite to Sher, saw Snape's lips curl.  
  
He merely said, "No more such carelessness in my class," and moved on.  
  
The Gryffindors coming out of the class could talk of nothing else but Snape's strange behaviour.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
At dinner Fred and George decided to obey McGonagall.  
  
"How was you first day?" asked George.  
  
"Hope you didn't take Divination," said Fred.  
  
Sher shook his head. "Why?"  
  
"She usually greets the class predicting the death of a student and considering you're the new student, she'd have surely predicted yours."  
  
"There is no need for him to take Divination to get his death predicted," said Harry. "She has already declared that you face more danger than I, and she has already predicted my death many times," he informed Bertlemon.  
  
Everybody laughed, including Sher Bertlemon.  
  
Harry wanted to ask him if he was previously acquainted with Snape, when he was interrupted by Ron asking Lee Jordan how the new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher was.  
  
"Interesting enough," Lee replied. "But I have reasons to believe that he is not a vampire."  
  
"Yeah, he doesn't even seem to have an aversion to garlic," said George mournfully. "We tried it."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The third day saw McGonagall and Snape discussing Bertlemon.  
  
Snape had found it unbearable not to take points off Gryffindors for Bertlemon's mistakes. McGonagall, on the other hand, was at her wit's ends on how to continue giving lesser points to Bertlemon on account of his being the headmaster (past or future).  
  
Deciding to treat him as any other student, they went on to other matters - Communications from Sirius Black, Madame Maxime, Arthur Weasley and many others. 


	6. Sher and Draco

CHAPTER 6 - SHER AND DRACO  
  
Classes soon became as normal as they could get at Hogwarts.  
  
Snape was now taking as many points from Gryffindors as he could, deriving obvious amusement when he did so, on account of Bertlemon. This was by no means infrequent for despite being quite tolerable at Potions, Sher seemed to have an unquestionable urge to experiment with various ingredients. The results were not always predictable (though Snape could always predict that they would end in disaster).  
  
Once, the class had been filled with green smoke smelling of roses. Snape apparently did not like the sound of houses for he took 25 points off Gryffindor for that.  
  
Another time, the fumes from Sher's cauldron had sent the whole class (excluding Snape, who had gone out for a moment and who, as soon as he saw the pitiable condition his class was in, immediately covered his face with a handkerchief) giggling silly. Snape put its worth at 50 points off Gryffindors.  
  
Soon Snape was sincerely pitying Dumbledore's ex-Potions master for having had to put up with him for seven whole years. He was also now wishing longingly for the time the brat would become Headmaster again.  
  
The Gryffindors who found such mishaps diverting, were not really bothered with the points it cost them. They felt it also took Snape's attention off Neville, whose mistakes were now not being announced to the class.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Care Of Magical creatures was more intriguing but not less dangerous than before. Hagrid had got with him a number of rare creatures. Only Sher and Hermione were impressed, for only they knew the existence of these creatures.  
  
The first creature they studied was a 'Mandr', (which Harry thought looked like a cross between a Panther and a monkey) which was far more interesting than a flobberworm.  
  
It had a long tail, a furry face with whiskers and it walked on four legs. Its fur was pale blonde, which gleamed, much like Draco's own hair.  
  
"If its face was more pointed and if it walked on two legs, I'm sure I couldn't distinguish between it and Malfoy!" said Ron laughing.  
  
Much to the class' amusement it seemed to have taken a fancy for Draco and imitated all that he did. Draco didn't notice it at first and when he did, he did not share the class' amusement.  
  
He had been animatedly describing the new Quidditch move that he claimed would win him the match against Gryffindors. He made a sweeping movement with his hand. "WHOOSH!" he said.  
  
"WHOOSH!" he heard an echo and turned around to see the Mandr's hand make the same sweeping movement. His face turned red as the entire class, including the Slytherins went into whoops.  
  
Hagrid's beard twitched. "Mandrs are good imitators," he said, by way of explanation.  
  
"I don't want it imitating me!" said Draco scowling.  
  
Those who missed seeing Draco's scowl could see it the next instant reflected on the Mandr's face and the class laughed harder.  
  
Seething with anger and hands clenched, Draco walked purposefully towards the Mandr. He raised his hands but found he couldn't bring it down. He turned around to see Sher wielding his wand, regarding him steadily.  
  
"I don't think it's a good idea to slap a Mandr," Sher said calmly. "I believe you heard Hagrid say just now that they are good imitators."  
  
Draco looked daggers at him, as Sher went on unhurriedly to undo the spell.  
  
"I apologise, Sir. But I think it wouldn't have been a good thing for Malfoy to have paw-marks on his cheeks."  
  
"I don't want you hurting animals in my class in future, Mr.Malfoy and it would do you a lot of good if you paid attention to my words," said Hagrid.  
  
Much to the disappointment of the Gryffindors, they heard the bell from the castle signifying the end of the class.  
  
Scowling, Draco made his way back to the castle with the Slytherins.  
  
"That was bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Ron, clapping Sher on his back.  
  
"Way to go!" cheered Dean and Seamus together.  
  
Sher blushed scarlet.  
  
"Good that you put Malfoy in his place," said Parvati approvingly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night saw celebrations in the Gryffindor Common Room. The news of Sher putting one over Draco had spread throughout the school.  
  
The rumours were such that the Gryffindors had Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs ask them if Sher had bewitched the 'Mandr' to imitate Draco!  
  
Fred, George and Lee decided that it called for celebrations. Hermione (now a prefect) also joined in the celebrations. But when the twins let off crackers, she drew the line and ordered the part to break up, which earned her the doubtful compliment of being compared to Percy.  
  
In the boys' dormitory, the discussion continued.  
  
"That was very impressive," said Neville admiringly.  
  
"There have been only two occasions before this when I've seen Malfoy so bereft of words," said Ron.  
  
"What happened then?" Sher was all curiosity.  
  
"Once when Hermione slapped him."  
  
"Did she really?" asked Sher unable to picture Hermione slapping anybody.  
  
"Yes, when he insulted Hagrid," said Ron and Sher detected a hint of pride in his voice.  
  
"And the second occasion?"  
  
"When he was turned into a ferret,"  
  
"He was what?" asked Sher amazed.  
  
The entire story came out and it had Sher rolling helplessly with laughter.  
  
"Wish I had been there," said Sher.  
  
"Where did you study before?" asked Seamus.  
  
Sher had been sufficiently coached by McGonagall, so he was able to reply without a bat of the eyelid.  
  
"I was in Salem. My parents work for the Department of Mysteries and we have been transferred here unexpectedly."  
  
"Is it something to do with You-Know-Who?" asked Dean Thomas in a whisper.  
  
"Who is this You-Know-Who?" asked Sher, fed-up.  
  
"Don't you know who?" asked Neville in hushed tones.  
  
"NO!" said Sher. "How can I know who, when you don't even mention his name!"  
  
"Voldemort," said Harry quietly.  
  
At that, her felt a sense of discomfort descend upon the room.  
  
"I think we better be getting to bed," said Harry.  
  
Sher badly wanted to know more about Voldemort, but he thought it prudent not to press the matter right now.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N - Thanks to All our reviewers. We highly appreciate your comments and hope that you will continue to provide us with your views. 


	7. Suspicions

CHAPTER 7 - SUSPICIONS  
  
Charms classes were going without accidents, strange considering Neville was still in the class. Sher was spending time with Neville, helping him with his subjects. That, perhaps, explained Neville's improvement in all subjects except Potions. In Potions he was no better off than before. Considering his dread of Snape, it did not come as a surprise.  
  
In Astronomy class, Professor Sinistra put very searching questions to Sher. So poor Sher was forced to recall all that McGonagall had told him and respond suitably. After about 15 minutes of cross-questioning, she left him to finish her work and pursued her own train of thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Any progress?" asked McGonagall, as Snape entered her room.  
  
"Is it safe to discuss here?" he asked.  
  
"Let's go to my inner office," said McGonagall.  
  
"It must have been one of the Professors," said Snape once inside the office.  
  
McGonagall looked up sharply. "Are you sure?" Snape nodded. "There are Potions that can change the age. There is one that causes the change only after an interval of time. That's what must have been used."  
  
"The Headmaster visited all the Professors that day," said McGonagall quietly.  
  
"Yes, and there is no means of knowing who administered the Potion," said Snape heavily.  
  
"Do you have any suspicions?"  
  
"No. It could have been anybody. We better tread carefully from now on."  
  
"How long does the effect last?" queried McGonagall.  
  
"We have no means of knowing how much he has drunk, so we cannot even hazard a guess."  
  
"Are the effects permanent?"  
  
"I don't believe so, but it is an ancient Potion and not much literature is available on it. I'm however working on an antidote."  
  
"When will it be ready?"  
  
"I've just started on it, so its too early to say. I cannot, moreover give it to the Headmaster without ascertaining its effects."  
  
McGonagall sighed.  
  
"Any communication from the others?" asked Snape.  
  
McGonagall shook her head.  
  
"So how is Sher faring in class?" she asked.  
  
"He seems to be faring well, but I'm not. He is very eager to experiment new Potions, only the effect is far from what I desire."  
  
McGonagall laughed. "I notice that you seem to be taking as many points from him as you would, from any other Gryffindor."  
  
"He forces my hand." He stood up. "I better be going. I've left the cauldron simmering."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
In transfiguration Sher was at his best. He picked up in no time all that Professor McGonagall taught. There were times when Sher thought he already knew the acronyms and limericks with which she taught them spells. McGonagall, noticing the change in Sher's expression as she taught, hoped that he was on his way to recovering his memory.  
  
Now they were expected to turn soft cushions into baby elephants. Hermione and Sher were the only ones who were able to do it.  
  
Neville's turned into a pink, soft, trumpeting cushion. Harry could sit as comfortably on his elephant as on a cushion. Ron's did not have a trunk.  
  
This was why Harry, Ron and Hermione were found by the lake with a heap of cushions by their side. Hermione was engaged in pointing out what Harry and Ron were doing wrong, thereby irritating Ron.  
  
There was an uncommonly big crowd in the Gryffindor Common Room, when Harry, Ron and Hermione returned.  
  
There was a notice posted on the Notice Board-  
  
THERE WILL BE TRY-OUTS FOR THE POSITION OF KEEPER IN THE GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAM. THIS WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, THE 15TH OF OCTOBER IN THE QUIDDITCH PITCH AT 10:30 A.M. THE NEW GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH CAPTAIN, KATIE BELL, WILL SELECT THE KEEPER. INTERESTED STUDENTS KINDLY GIVE YOUR NAME TO ANGELINA JOHNSON OR ALICIA SPINNET. FIRST YEARS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO COMPETE.  
  
McGonagall, DEPUTY HEADMISTRESS  
  
A lot of people were crowded around Angelina and Alicia.  
  
"Ginny will be taking part, won't she?" asked Harry turning to Ron.  
  
"Yes, she is very excited about it."  
  
"I wonder who else will be trying," said Hermione.  
  
"Think we should give our names?" asked Dean to Seamus. "It should be fun."  
  
"No harm in trying," replied Seamus.  
  
"What about it, Ron?" asked Dean.  
  
"Me? No way!" said Ron, looking horrified at the whole idea. "Too many Weasleys may not be very good for the team."  
  
"Practice your scoring skills, Harry," said Fred coming over to them. "We should try to score past the contestants."  
  
"Yes," said George in a deep voice, "it is our supreme duty to ensure that we admit a talented Keeper into our fold."  
  
Alicia waved to them across the room. "Got 15 names already!"  
  
"Wow! We've got a big job on our hands," said Fred.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
That weekend, they went over to Hagrid's place.  
  
Hagrid was all praise for Sher.  
  
"He came over yesterday and we had a nice chat. Seems to be a nice sort of a boy."  
  
"Amazing the way he got the better of Draco!" said Ron, with enthusiasm.  
  
"I'm fed up of this topic! Can't we talk of anything else but Sher?" said Hermione impatiently.  
  
Hagrid looked aghast, while Harry and Ron looked at Hermione, surprised at her sudden outburst.  
  
"And everybody considering him just a 15 year old!" she continued, oblivious to their reactions.  
  
"Why? Do you think he is 50?" asked Ron, chuckling.  
  
"He can't be just 15!" retorted Hermione.  
  
"Not 'just' 15, Hermione, but a 15-year-old genius!" said Ron.  
  
Hermione glared and pressed her mouth into a thin line.  
  
An uncomfortable silence descended, and they decided to leave.  
  
Hermione refused to talk to them and stalked into the castle. It was only a matter of time before Hermione unbent towards them, but it was evident that she harboured suspicions towards Sher, though she wouldn't disclose what they were to Harry and Ron.  
  
That evening, they started off with their Astronomy homework, when Harry realised that he had left his charts at the Astronomy tower.  
  
Harry and Ron walked towards the tower, with Ron ragging Harry on his absent-mindedness. They were about to enter the classroom, when Harry felt a sharp pain in his scar.  
  
Before he could realise its significance, they heard voices from the classroom.  
  
"Still a 15-year-old. No, My Lord.No.Dumbledore.I'm quite sure, My Lord.  
  
They strained their ears to hear more, but stiffened when they heard footsteps approaching the door. They stood still for a few seconds, but when nobody came, they took courage and peeped inside. There was nobody there.  
  
"Whoever it was has disappeared," whispered Ron, even though there was no need to.  
  
He looked at Harry, whose face was very white. "Did you hear what she said?" he asked.  
  
"She?" asked Ron.  
  
"She said, 'My Lord'. It means Voldemort is here. And somebody at Hogwarts is a traitor."  
  
Ron's eyes widened. "Professor Sinistra?"  
  
A/N - To Melissa Lupin, good guess about the name. You are partially correct. Its actually from Sherbet Lemon, no Bertie Botts involved. We decided to make it Sher Bertlemon, with an 'r' because we didn't want to make it too obvious! And yeah, thanks to all our reviewers! 


	8. Something Sinister About Sinistra

CHAPTER - 8 SOMETHING SINISTER ABOUT SINISTRA  
  
"Perhaps," said Harry, his face grim. He grabbed Ron's arm. "Let's go to Dumbledore."  
  
Panting, they reached Dumbledore's office. They stared at each other wondering how to get in (for neither knew the password), when the door opened. McGonagall stepped out and looked at the two.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Can we see Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked.  
  
"Why?" asked McGonagall.  
  
They glanced at each other uneasily.  
  
"Both of you better come to my office," she said leading the way.  
  
"Dumbledore is not here now," she said sitting down and motioning them to do the same. "What is it that you wanted to tell him?"  
  
"You-Know-Who is in the castle," blurted out Ron, before Harry could say a word.  
  
McGonagall started. "What do you mean, Mr.Weasley?"  
  
"In the Astronomy Tower."  
  
McGonagall looked towards Harry for elucidation when it was apparent that no coherent sentence could be got out of Ron.  
  
"We went to the Astronomy Tower and we heard a voice. A voice addressing somebody as 'My Lord'. I think Voldemort was being addressed. But my scar did not hurt as much as it did the last time Voldemort was near. So I'm not sure," said Harry.  
  
"Whose voice was it?" she asked.  
  
"It was a lady's voice, " said Harry.  
  
The door opened. They turned to see Snape standing at the door.  
  
"Come in, Severus," said McGonagall.  
  
Snape entered. "Something the matter?" he asked looking from the boys to McGonagall.  
  
"They believe You-Know-Who is inside the castle," she replied.  
  
"What?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.  
  
"They heard a lady's voice address 'My Lord' in the Astronomy Tower and they took that to refer to You-Know-Who."  
  
Before Snape could respond, a house-elf entered. "Professor McGonagall is urgently needed in the Hospital Wing," it said bowing.  
  
"I'm leaving you to deal with this, Severus," said McGonagall hurrying out.  
  
Snape turned to Harry and Ron with an unpleasant smile. "What took the two of you to the Astronomy Tower?"  
  
"I had left behind my Astronomy charts, so we went to get it," replied Harry defiantly. "So," said Snape, a sneer forming, "the great Potter thought that he could leave things behind as he pleased and his servants would fetch them for him. Was nobody obliging enough to get them for you?"  
  
They glared at him but remained quiet.  
  
"I believe it has now become a habit with you to indulge in illusions," continued Snape.  
  
"But You-Know-Who is in the castle. Even I heard him and Harry's scar hurt," said Ron impatiently.  
  
"I believe I heard Professor McGonagall say so. I suggest both of you return to your Common Room and keep your mouths shut over the affair. It is apparent that both of you are blessed with vivid imaginations. But I don't want panic to spread among the students on account of your hallucinations."  
  
Snape looked at them, a sneer forming at the corner of his mouth, leaving them with no other option than getting back to the Common Room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Concentrate, Neville," said Sher patiently. "Look at the cushion and form an image of a baby elephant in your mind. Focus your mind on the task at hand and then say the spell."  
  
Neville closed his eyes and with a determined look on his face, held his wand aloft and cast the spell.  
  
The next instant Sher found himself breathing through a trunk and felt something flapping on his face - Elephant ears. He looked around wondering whether to trumpet or not, when Lavender gave a screech. Hermione looked up from her Charms homework.  
  
"Oh dear," she cried hurrying towards Sher. "This spell is not supposed to be cast on humans."  
  
"No," muttered Sher, his eyes twinkling. "Only Neville didn't know it."  
  
Neville was tearful. "I didn't mean to do it," he said looking from Sher to Hermione.  
  
By now the entire Common Room had gathered around.  
  
"Way to go, Longbottom!" said Fred. "We have human transfiguration only when we do our N.E.W.Ts, but you have managed to master it in the 5th year itself."  
  
"What will happen now?" asked Neville worriedly.  
  
"Help me take him to the Hospital Wing," said Hermione quickly taking charge of the situation.  
  
Together the twins heaved Sher out of his seat and marched him off to the Hospital Wing with Hermione in the lead and Neville following behind.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
McGonagall entered the Hospital Wing.  
  
"Poppy!" she called.  
  
Madame Pomfrey came out from one of the rooms.  
  
"There you are, Professor," she said wiping her hands on her apron.  
  
"What happened?" asked McGonagall. "A house-elf informed me that you wanted me here. Is it anything serious?"  
  
"Not serious," she replied. "I sent for you only because you wanted to be informed if anything happened to the new fifth year student, what's his name?"  
  
"Bertlemon?" McGonagall asked, alarmed.  
  
"Ah, yes, the one with the queer name. He has grown a trunk and a pair of large ears."  
  
"WHAT!" she exclaimed, disbelievingly.  
  
"You better see for yourself," said Madame Pomfrey leading her to Sher's room.  
  
Sher had his eyes closed, but looked up as the two entered. He smiled at McGonagall and his eyes twinkled, reminding her for a moment of Dumbledore.  
  
"What has been happening, Mr.Bertlemon?" she asked sternly, going towards the bed.  
  
"I was teaching Neville to transfigure a cushion into a baby elephant, but he accidentally transfigured me."  
  
"I will have a word with Mr.Longbottom," said McGonagall grimly.  
  
"Please Professor," said Sher. "It was an accident and wasn't his fault."  
  
Madame Pomfrey entered with a goblet containing a bubbling purple potion. "Drink it up and you'll be fine by tomorrow."  
  
McGonagall got up. "I'll be in my office if you need anything, Poppy."  
  
She went to her office to find Snape there.  
  
"Well?" she asked.  
  
"Astronomy Tower. We might as well check it out," said Snape.  
  
"Sher is in the Hospital Wing," said McGonagall as they hurried down the corridor.  
  
Snape looked at her.  
  
"There seems to have been an accident. He now sports a trunk and a pair of elephant ears."  
  
Snape stifled a laugh. The corners of McGonagall's mouth twitched.  
  
"How did it happen?" asked Snape.  
  
"It seems Longbottom accidentally cast a spell on him," replied McGonagall.  
  
"Ah, Longbottom," said Snape, as if that explained everything.  
  
They reached the Astronomy Tower.  
  
"Do you think You-Know-Who is really here?" McGonagall asked in a low voice.  
  
Snape shrugged. "Difficult to see how he could enter."  
  
They paused outside the door listening for noises. It was quiet. Snape knocked. Receiving no reply, he opened the door. The room was empty.  
  
McGonagall walked around the room, as Snape strode straight to the fireplace. He touched it and felt it warm. The Dark Mark burnt on his skin.  
  
"The Dark Lord communicated through the fireplace," he said curtly.  
  
A/N - To Miriam G- I was just thinking of sending you an email informing you of my new story, when I saw your review. Don't worry, your reviews are GREAT, as are all of the others and it gives me a warm feeling! ;-) Once again, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE REVIEWED and even to those who are reading and NOT reviewed. 


End file.
